• Duke Energy is donating $100,000 to the Florida Disaster Fund
• The fund is managed by the Volunteer Florida Foundation, which assists Florida communities during times of emergency or disaster

Duke Energy is pledging $100,000 to the Florida Disaster Fund to aid communities impacted by Hurricane Ian.

With the Sunshine State now in the storm’s rearview, Duke Energy said in a Friday press release that it is donating the funds to support disaster recovery and response. The utility company noted that the money will go towards meals, shelter, emergency services and supplies.

“Our priority in uncertain disasters like this is taking care of our customers and communities,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy’s Florida president. “We are grateful to be able to support the wonderful organizations that are first on the ground helping with recovery.”

In response to the devastation and floods Hurricane Ian left behind in southwest Florida, Volunteer Florida announced on Wednesday the activation of the Florida Disaster Fund to support Florida’s communities impacted by Hurricane Ian.

The Florida Disaster Fund is a private fund created by the state to help regions in responding to and recovering from times of catastrophe or disaster. The Florida Disaster Fund supports emergency and recovery efforts in collaboration with public, corporate, and non-governmental groups.

“On behalf of all Floridians, we appreciate all the generous donations,” said Volunteer Florida CEO Josie Tamayo, “Your support contributes to Volunteer Florida’s mission of leveraging our resources toward rebuilding our affected communities.”

Hurricane Ian made landfall on Wednesday, pummeling Florida’s Gulf Coast before continuing on a northward trek. The Category 4 storm left a path of destruction across the Sunshine State, producing catastrophic flooding and storm surge, while leaving more than 2 million Florida homes and businesses without power.

Duke Energy said that they have nearly 10,000 lineworkers, tree professionals, and other personnel on the ground responding to these outages.

Florida officials provided some insight into the death toll following Hurricane Ian. Florida’s Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie in the news conference Friday said there was one confirmed fatality as a result of the storm, with 20 unconfirmed deaths. He added that the state is trying to verify if the 20 deaths were related to the storm, before adding that the death toll could increase as search and rescue teams continue to respond to the aftermath.

Around 10,000 people remain unaccounted for.

Ian has strengthened back into a hurricane after being downgraded to a tropical storm. The system is expected to make landfall on South Carolina’s coast later Friday.